Cylinder construction



May 6 1941- K. A. BRowNE y 2,241,339

CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION I original Filed My 1s, 1937 i s sheets-sheet s l1NVENTOR. KEA/Mm www QRNEY.

Patented May 6, 1941 2,241,339 MINDER-CONSTRUCTION Kenneth Browne,lWestwood, J., assignor to Wright Aeronautical Corporation, a corporation@NewWin-f lo1ignwt1 axiilicau'on, May 15,: iesafseriai No. 142,754.Divided and this application Septemher 2L, liltogserial No. 293,260

' 14 claims; (c1. 12s-193) This invention relates toint'ernahcornbustion engines, being` particularly concerned. with..improvements in a cylinder constructiongandfassociated sleeve valvemechanism. `Although the invention is particularly" adapted` foraircraft engines of the radial cylinder type, it is also suitable forvarious other types of engines. The

present appli-cation is a division of application Serial No. 142,754,filed May -15, 1937. l

A particular object of theinvention isto1pro vide a sleeve valve andsleeve driving organization in an engine which will permit of aminimization in the overall height of the cylinder assembly, and anassociated object is .to provide a sleeve valve and porting organizationwherein theport openings will all be at the same level along the axis ofthe cylinder. An associatediobject is to provide a novel form of exhaustand intake manifold, permitting the use of a plurality of intake andexhaust ports. Still another o bject is to utilize a single set of portsin a valveV sleeve having rotary and reciprocatory` motions which areregisterable sequentially ,with 4intake and exhaust ports inthe'cylinderWalls.k A ifur ther object is to provide a valve and;manifold organization which will permit of a-large cooling fin areauponrt'he cylinder exterior, making the construction particularlysuitedfor; engines of the air-cooled type. Y

Another objectmis to organize` porting arrangements in4 such amanneruthatthe cylinder per se may be fabricated by simplejrnafchiningoperations, Without recourse towcomplex miling operations and distorted`masses of metal in the structure. This results also in `tliepro- Visionof a cylinder which is relativelyfree fijonfl unusual and unforeseenstresses.` V

A further object is to ,provide a novel Aforrnof sleeve valve operatingmechanism, providing ,an

Fig. 1 is an axial section through an internal vcombusticn engine and aportion of the crankcaseangl associated structure, ,y showing.-A thepro- 'visions4 @f ,the invention: L

tof

C .rlieetshwiae :the leevegeeratins gals:

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a part of the cylinder and sleeveactuating crank; `lig.`l is, a developed diagrammatic View of 4thecylinder ports and sleeve ports, showing the orbit-.of movmentoi thesleeve and the various events of valve opening and closing with respectto" crankshaft position;

lig..5 is, a developed diagrammatic View of the valve orbit,Y showingthe valve operation events; lFig. 6 isa plan of the intake and exhaustmanifoldsy for ,the cylinder; and

'l Fig. 'Zis a side elevation of the upper portion of this cylinder withthe manifolds installed.

.A in Figi, aicylinder I0 is provided with concontric cooling fins Il,a, port band l2 intermediate its height, andan attachment ange 3,seatingAupon a, crankca-se structure ld. A cylinderheadA I5, provided withcooling fins I6, is seatedu'pon the top ofthe cylinder lil, and isfastened thereto by means of a union nut I overlapping a flange on thecylinder head and engaging screw threads I8 formed at the top of thecylinderwl. Said` cylinder head has clearancewith'respect to thecylinder at i9, and is provided with junk rings 20 engaging the bore ofavalve `sleeve 2| extending below the bottom end jof, the cylinder. Aboss 22 is formed at the Aloyverend "of `the sleeve. 2| and is providedwith `internal gear 35 fixed at 36 to the crankcase.

Presuming a multi-cylinder engine of, say, nine cylinders, there will bea .gear 28 and a shaft 26 foreach cylinder, while a single annular gear29 and driving mechanism therefor serves to drive allof the Aseveralgears 28, thus providing a single driving mechanism lfor all the valvegears.

It ,be noted that the center of the ball socket,,23 `is radially inboardof the surface of thevalve sleeve 2|, which, to the best of applicantlsknowledge, isV a distinctly novel arrangement permitting of valvemotions, as Will be described later, much more favorable to compactengine design than has been accomplished heretofore. In priorconstructions, it has been the conventional practice to have the drivingboss yfor the hvalve sleeve radially outboard of the sleeve and theminor axis being vertical. 'Thiselliptical path'is attained inthefollowing manner: 'I'he vertical travel, or minor axis of the-ellipse inFig.

5, results from the eccentricity of the crankpin' YV- 10 2 5 asrepresented by the dimension A. The horizontal path of the sleeve isgreater tl'fian"i.lfie l crankpin eccentricity A by virtue ofthe factthat the sleeve surface is radially morereniote from the cylinder axisthanis'the center' 'oftheA ball socket 23, the circumferential travel ofthe sleeve being represented byl the" dimension 1B.'

Expressing this in another'way', the horizontal` the dimension A as thesleeve radius bearsto the' Vports 38 which coact with cylinder ports 39and 40 connected respectively tofintakeand Yexhaust manifolds 4I and 42,there being a plurality of ports 39 and a plurality of ports 40 equal innumber to the plurality of ports 38 in thesleeve 2|. *n

The action of the sleeve 2| is timed according to the diagrams of Figs.4 and 5..` In Fig. 4, the sleeve port 38 is indicated in variouspositions, in dotted lines, with V'respect to the intakeand exhaustports 3S and 40. The several valve lcombinations are marked inaccordance with accepted terminology, as I. O. (intakeopens) T. C.

(top center); B. C. (bottom center); I.' C. (intake closes); T. C. (topcenter) O. (exhaust c opens) B. C. (bottom center) and E. C. (exhaustlcloses) The intake manifold 4I consists of two symmetrical halves 44 and45 bolted together at 46, each half having inwardly extending conduits'41 terminating in arcuate faces for fitting engagement with the valveband l2 on the cylinder, registering with the severalports 39. Theexhaust manifold 42 is of forked form, beingprovided with conduits 49terminating in pads in lfitting engagement with the valve band I2 on thecylinder. Extensions 5i) are tted to the ends of the forked elements ofthe manifold 42, having pads for engagement with the valve band I2,suoli yeating with a pressure chamber 51 of a supercharger 58 ydriven bythe engine crankshaft 30 in the conventional manner. Said enginecrankshaft is carried on ball bearings 59 and 60 in the l-'crankcasdthecrankpin 6I having a conventional connecting rod system 62 upon which apiston 63 is borne to reciprocate in the cylinder I0, bearing `.upon theboreY of the sleeve 2 I While I have described my invention in detailtravel B of the sleeve bears the same relation to extensions beingapplied separately to permit of assembly of the manifold upon thecylinder.

Both manifolds are held tightly against the valve band I2 by means of ahoopv 52 bearing upon projections 53 on each of the several valve portengaging conduits, this hoop having a turnbuckle 54 for tightening allthe manifolds simultaneously. The turnbuckle is located diametricallyopposite the terminals of the manifolds, and is supported away 'from thecylinder by a bridge Velement 55 bearing upon the valve band I2. In thearrangement shown, there are five exhaust ports 49 and six intake p orts39 in the cylinder, the segment of the cylinder opposite one of theexhaust ports 40 being covered bythe bridge element 55, so that thecompressive stress imposed by the hoop `52 is equally distributedthroughout the periphery of the cylinder for Vminimizing warpingstresses thereon.

Referring to Fig.l 1, the space I'between the cylinder Iii and cylinderhead I5 :is provided for vertical movement ofthe valvesleeve 2I, Whereinits present preferred embodiment, it Will be obvious to those skilled inthe art, after understanding my invention, that various changes andmodications may be made therein without departing from lthe spirit orscope thereof. I aim in the Yappendedrclaims to cover all suchmodifications' and changes. Y

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sleeve valve engine comprising a cylinder having a plurality ofcircumfe'rentially disposed ports therearound, a continuouscircumferential seat around said cylinder and embracing the severalports, intake and "exhaust manifolds each embracing more than half ofthe cylinder circumference and having conduits registering withrespective ports,'the conduit ends engaging said seat, and a hoopyembracing said `conduits for holdingsame against said seat.

2. In a sleeve valve engine comprising a cylinder having a plurality cfcircumferentially disposed ports therearound, a continuouscircumferential seat around said cylinder and embracing the severalports, intake and exhaust manifolds each embracing more than half lofthe cylinder circumference and having conduits registeringwithrespective ports, the conduit ends engaging said seat, a hoopembracing said conduits for holding'same against said seat, and meansfor tensioning said hoop;

3. In a sleeve valve engine, a cylinder having a plurality of intakeports and a plurality of exhaust portsalternately arranged around thecylinder, the several ports all being at substantially the-same distancefrom the end of the cylinder,

`a cylinder embracing intake manifold having i 4 4. In a sleeve valveengine, a cylinder having a plurality of intake ports and a plurality ofexhaust ports alternately arranged farofund the cylinder, the severalports all being at substantially the same distance from the' endof thecylinder, a cylinder embracing intake manifold havin g conduitsregistering with respectiveintake ports, a cylinder embracing exhaustmanifold having conduits registering with respective exhaust ports, andunitary means for holding both said manifolds in assembled relation onsaid cylinde'r.`

5. In a sleeve valve engine, a cylinder having a plurality of intakeports Aand a plurality of exhaust ports alternately arranged aroundthecylinder, 'the several ports all being atsubstantially the same distancefrom the end of the cylinder, a cylinder embracing intake manifoldhaving conduits registering with respective intake ports, a cylinderembracing exhaust manifold having conduits registering with respectiveexhaust ports, and means embracing both said manifolds for holding themin assembled relation on said cylinder.

6. In a sleeve valve engine cylinder comprising a plurality ofsubstantially coplanar ports arranged around the cylinder, a conduitseating upon the cylinder adjacent each port, each conduit having anabutment, the several abutments being coplanar and spaced substantiallythe same distance outwardly from the cylinder wall, and a unitary memberembracing the several conduits and engaging the abutments to secure theconduits against the cylinder.

7. In a sleeve valve engine cylinder comprising an annular port belthaving ports therethrough, conduits for inlet and exhaust manifoldsseating on the belt at respective ports and comprising elbows curvedupwardly for one manifold and downwardly for the other manifoldrespectively from the plane of the port belt, a shelf on each conduitsubstantially on the central plane of the Aport belt annulus, and atensionable wrapping member embracing the several conduits and restingupon respective shelves thereof.

8. In a sleeve valve engine cylinder comprising an annular port belthaving ports therethrough, conduits for inlet and exhaust manifoldsseating on the belt at respective ports and comprising elbows curvedupwardly for one manifold and downwardly for the other manifoldrespectively from the plane of the port belt, a shelf on each conduitsubstantially on the central plane of the port belt annulus, atensionable wrapping member embracing the several conduits and restingupori respective shelves thereof, and a manifold embracing the cylinderwith which said conduits communicate.

9. In a sleeve valve engine cylinder comprising an annular port belthaving ports therethrough, conduits for inlet and exhaust manifoldsseating on the belt at respective ports and comprising elbows curvedupwardly for one manifold and downwardly for the other manifoldrespectively from the plane of the port belt, a shelf on each conduitsubstantially on the central plane of the port belt annulus, atensionable wrapping member embracing the several conduits and restingupon respective shelves thereof, said conduit elbows being alternatelyupwardly and downwardly facing, a manifold around the cylinder below theport belt with which said downwardly facing conduit elbows communicate,and a manifold around the cylinder above the port ybelt with which saidupwardly facing conduit elbows communicate.

10. In a sleeve valve engine cylinder comprising an annular port belthaving ports therethrough, the belt comprising a seat, a plurality ofconduits each having an arcuate face engaging the belt at one of saidports, manifolds joining certain of the conduits, and unitary meansengaging the several conduits exteriorly of the belt and urging theconduits against the belt with substantially equal pressure on each.

ll. In a cylinder member having a plurality of substantially coplanarports spaced thereabout, the member surface adjacent the portscomprising a seat, a conduit having an inner face engaging the seat ateach port, the several conduits together embracing substantially morethan half of the cylinder circumference and means wrapped around theseveral conduits and bearing thereon for holding the conduits in contactwith the seat.

12. In an engine cylinder having a plurality of ports exposed to theoutside of the cylinder, a gas conduit for each port seated against theoutside of the cylinder and covering its port, said conduits togetherembracing substantially more than half of the cylinder circumference andunitary means embracing the cylinder and engaging the conduits to holdthe latter against the cylinder.

13. In an engine cylinder having a plurality of ports spaced around andexposed to the outside of the cylinder, gas conduits seated against theoutside of the cylinder and covering each port and together embracingsubstantially more than half of the cylinder circumference, unitarymeans embracing the cylinder and engaging the conduits to hold thelatter against the cylinder, and a manifold secured to and communicatingwith said conduits.

14. In an engine cylinder having a plurality of ports exposed to theoutside of the cylinder and comprising an annular cylinder surfaceembracing said ports, a plurality of conduits each having an end facecomplementary to said annular surface and overlying one port, and a bandembracing the cylinder and conduits and in contact with each of thelatter for holding the conduits in cylinder contact.

KENNETH A. BROVVNE.

